Phoenix Rising
by Cathcer1984
Summary: Because I'm terrible at writing these and, well ,the prompt says it all, anyway: "Scorpius isn't happy when the family secret makes itself known, especially since it means his own secret will have to be revealed in the process."


**Title:** Phoenix Rising

**Author:** lj user="drarryxlover"

**Prompt:** Prompt #78 submitted by lj user="lilyginny27"

**Pairing(s):** Obviously Harry/Scorpius; side pairings: Draco/Astoria, Lucius/Narcissa, Ron/Hermione; mentioned only: Blaise/Pansy, Ginny/Zacharias Smith.

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warning(s):** Age discrepancy (42/20), mPreg (as per the prompt shouted!), graphic sex, dirty talk, a couple of detailed vomiting scenes, bad language, Ginny (mentioned briefly), slight domestic violence, homophobic comments, indirect comments about paedophilia (really nothing to squick over, I think.)

**Word Count:** 13, 192

**Summary:** Because I'm terrible at writing these and, well ,the prompt says it all, anyway: "Scorpius isn't happy when the family secret makes itself known, especially since it means his own secret will have to be revealed in the process."

**Notes:** Beta'd by lj user="danikos_realms". Who is awesome!

I know a lot of fics have this thing about Harry being old and past his prime, but in my world he's still in his prime! Wizards can live for hundreds of years, which means that being about half a century is not that old in the grand scheme of things, and that's why Lucius still has all his marbles and how Harry can keep up with Scorpius in bed!

Just an FYI: Scorpius was born 2002; it made sense to make Draco and Astoria marry young and have a child within the first year of marriage. I hope you like it! This is the first Harry/Scorpius I've actually written, though I've read quite a few! I really enjoyed writing this, so thanks for the great prompt!

**Phoenix Rising**

Scorpius Malfoy stifled a groan as his father stared at him from behind the large mahogany desk. "I believe it's time we had a talk, Scorpius."

"Father—."

Draco held up a hand to stop his son from continuing. "You are now twenty years old, Scorpius, and perhaps I should have informed you of this when you came of age." Draco shook his head.

He hadn't aged well, Scorpius thought: his hair was receding and, in an attempt to seem younger, he had started to grow a beard a few years back. It had only covered his chin then, but now it took up most of his face. Neither Scorpius nor his mum had the courage to tell him that he looked ridiculous.

"You have been a junior member of the Aurors for the past two years," Draco continued, "I realise now that this is not merely a passing fancy; it is something that you are good at. I expect you to rise through the ranks quickly, like any Malfoy would.

"That should not be too hard, as your commanding officer, and personal mentor, I might add, is Harry Potter. I know you are aware of my animosity towards Potter and his _Weasleys_; I thank Merlin he never married and reproduced." Draco seemed to come aware of what he was saying then. "I am getting off topic. The bottom line is, you are now being thrust into social situations with members of the opposite sex—."

"Father!" Scorpius cried out, appalled.

"It must be said, son. I know you interacted with females at Hogwarts, but there they have strict rules about sexual behaviour. Now you have no one to stop you if you and your partner get caught up in the moment." Draco's voice grew hard and cold, "No man in this family has _ever_ got a woman pregnant out of wedlock and you will not be the first. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father, I understand. I also wish to inform you that you do not need to worry about that."

Draco relaxed slightly and smiled at his only child. "You do need to be thinking about a wife, however. Your Mother and I were married when I was twenty-two, and you will be expected to be married soon as well, son."

Scorpius nodded, but kept his face was carefully blank. "I'll bear that all in mind, Father. Is that everything? I need to go into the office."

"It's Saturday." Draco frowned. "I was under the impression that you had the weekend off?"

"Technically I do. Harry's just going to tutor me on tactical strategies."

Draco had raised an eyebrow "_Harry_?"

"Head-Auror Weasley encourages all of us to use each other's given names. It's common for criminals to shout out theAuror's last names; in the heat of combat, it can become difficult to distinguish one voice from another."

Draco nodded once and Scorpius knew he was free to go. He got up and walked steadily from the imposing study to the Floo parlour. He couldn't help but to grin at his father's misconceptions. As soon as he had used the Floo into the Ministry's Atrium, Scorpius was all but running outside and Apparated to Harry's home.

Every time he approached Grimmauld Place, number 12,Scorpius got a feeling of unease and disquiet, and he couldn't understand why. Shrugging it off, Scorpius made his way to the front door. Harry had never gotten rid of the protective charms surrounding the old house, but he had decorated it to his tastes, making it lighter and more welcoming. The colours were mostly blues and creams.

Scorpius hadn't seen any of the upstairs rooms, but Harry had told him about Sirius and Regulus's.

Regulus's room was similar to Sirius's in layout and with the same intensity of Hogwarts' House-pride, except it was Slytherin and not Gryffindor that was proudly displayed. They were also the only two rooms in the house that had not been redecorated. Harry had chosen to maintain them that way as a sign of respect for his godfather and the man who had tried to bring down Voldemort from the inside. It was little things like that, that made Harry; _Harry_.

Scorpius let himself inside. Harry wasn't in the drawing room or the kitchen as it was usual when Scorpius visited. Coming back into the hallway, he called out, "Harry?"

"Scorp?" The faint reply came from upstairs. Tentatively, Scorpius made his way up the stairs. For all the times he had been there, he hadn't ever been upstairs.

Harry appeared on the stairway leading up to the third floor. Scorpius smiled instantly when he saw the older man. Harry, as always when he was home, was barefoot and wearing Muggle jeans and a tight fitting tee-shirt, square-framed glasses perched on his nose and a beautiful smile. "Come on up, Scorp."

"What's going on?" Scorpius asked when he reached him, but Harry just took one of Scorpius's hands in his own and led him up the stairs and towards an open door in the end of the hallway. Harry pushed Scorpius inside, letting go of his hand, and watched from behind as Scorpius took in the sight before him.

He was standing in Harry's bedroom: the king-sized bed took up most of the wall on the left and a large amount of floor space; there were two light pine-wood bedside tables on either side of it. Against the opposite wall, there was a matching chest-of-drawers and, next to that, a built in wardrobe, the doors painted cream. The walls of the room were, like the rest of the house, a duck-egg-blue with cream-coloured skirting; the one dark-blue wall was behind the bed.

Scorpius took in the pictures of Harry's family and friends on top of the chest of drawers, and then his eyes fell on one of the bedside cabinets, where a vial of lube and Harry's watch were. The curtains were cream-coloured with five dark-blue stripes at regular intervals; Harry liked it to be light when he slept, just like Scorpius.

He turned to face Harry and asked again, "What is going on?"

"This used to be the master bedroom and, after I did it up, I moved in."

"I gathered that, Harry. What I meant, and you well know it, is what am I doing here?"

Harry shrugged, and grinned in his boyish manner. "I thought we could try something different today," he said.

"Yeah?" Scorpius tried and, he suspected, failed, to hide the excitement from his face.

"Yep, we've never made it to a bed before. I figure if we start here, then we'll do it right at least once."

Scorpius smirked in approval and backed away towards the bed, unbuttoning his robes as he went, enjoying the look of lust on Harry's face and the bulge growing in his jeans.

Harry stalked forward as Scorpius's robes fell away, revealing his naked, toned body. Harry captured his lips in a fierce kiss, that was all tongue and teeth, and Scorpius raised his arms over Harry's shoulders to pull Harry's shirt over his head. He groaned impatiently as it caught on Harry's glasses, and he yanked them off and threw them onto the bedside table.

Harry's broad, naked chest brushed against Scorpius's; he let out a loud groan and brought one hand down from Harry's shoulder to tug at the hairs on his chest. Harry growled lowly in his throat, pushing Scorpius onto the bed. He watched as Scorpius scrambled up until his head was resting on the pillows, arms by his side and legs bent slightly and spread.

Scorpius gazed at Harry through half-lidded eyes, lust coursing through him. Harry smiled seductively as he tugged down the zip on his jeans, popped the button open and shimmied them down past his hips. Scorpius licked his lips when Harry's leaking erection was released from the confines of his jeans, which were promptly kicked off.

Then, Harry was crawling into the space between Scorpius's thighs. He trailed his fingers lightly up Scorpius's legs, over his hip bones until he reached the pink nipples on his chest. The blond arched his back under Harry's ministrations, a low whine coming out of him unwanted.

"Fuck, Scorp, you look beautiful like that. All flushed and needy for me." Harry leaned over and started sucking kisses up the pale column of Scorpius's throat, nibbling occasionally, and it caused Scorpius to let out loud moans.

Harry pulled back and took in Scorpius's flushed face. "Listen to you, moaning like a five-knut whore. Do you moan like that for others, Scorp?" Scorpius frantically moved his head from side to side. "Just me, Scorp? I'm so pleased," Harry whispered in his lover's ear.

Scorpius's breath hitched, making Harry pull back in surprise. "Are you going to come, Scorp? Just from me talking to you? How do you concentrate at work when I'm across the room, talking to myself as I write reports, do you get hard at your desk, listening to me? Which do you like best, the thought of me fucking you on a bed or over a desk?" Harry's breath was coming in pants, as Scorpius grabbed hold of his shoulders in a bruising grip.

"Please, Harry, fuck me now!" he cried out.

Harry pressed his body against his lover's, moving so their cocks were aligned, and reached over to grab the vial of lube from the bedside table; he pulled the cork from the bottle with his teeth and spit it over the bed, ignoring Scorpius's sarcastic, "Charming."

Harry poured lube onto his fingers, before seeking out Scorpius's opening. Pushing one finger into the tight heat, Harry slid it in and out before adding a second one, and soon a third, with Scorpius moaning loudly at his touch. Finally, Harry removed his fingers and slicked up his cock, gripping it in one hand, as he guided himself into Scorpius's body.

Both men groaned aloud as the head of Harry's cock pushed past the tight ring of muscle, and Scorpius smirked. "Now who's moaning like a five-knut whore?"

"Cheeky bugger," Harry ground out, before thrusting forward in one hard movement. Scorpius's body sifted on the covers and the bed banged against the wall. He let out a scream as Harry aimed at his prostrate, before pulling out and moving back inside with long, slow thrusts.

Neither could last long and Harry's slow thrusts had given way to shorter, harder, faster thrusts that had less rhythm the closer they got to their release. Harry moved his head so their lips were touching, both too close to orgasm to kiss properly that they ended up panting into each other's mouths.

Scorpius's muscles began to tense up and he clenched around Harry, who thrust inside without rhythm, and let out a howl of pleasure as he came, bringing Scorpius over the edge, his own release all over his own stomach and chest.

Harry collapsed on top of Scorpius and pressed open-mouthed kisses to his shoulders and chest, until Scorpius pushed at him weakly. "Heavy," he puffed out, breathless.

Harry uncoupled them, watching Scorpius wince as Harry slid out of him, before flopping down onto the bed next to his lover. "Fuck, Scorp, that was—."

"Amazing? Excellent? Awe-inspiring?"

"All of the above," Harry replied with a weak, huffy chuckle, flinging an arm across Scorpius's pale chest and pulling him close. Scorpius slid his face into the sweaty curve of Harry's neck and his fingers twined with the curly hairs of Harry's chest.

"Harry? Are you home?"

"Fuck!" Harry cursed, sitting up straight, and Scorpius scrambled off the bed, frantically looking for his robes; he bent over to pick them and glanced over his shoulder in surprise when he heard Harry groan.

Harry was staring at Scorpius's arsehole, where his come was starting to leak out of the abused rim. "Harry! Not now," Scorpius chided, before shutting himself in the bathroom, just as Hermione was heard coming up the stairs.

Harry pulled his glasses off the bedside table and shoved them onto his face.

"Harry, are you all—," she stopped and stared at him, cheeks red. Harry dragged his gaze away from the bathroom door to his friend, and then down at himself; he was naked and uncovered, sweaty, his cock was glistening with lube and come, and his chest had some of Scorpius's come stuck in it.

Harry fell over the edge of the bed in an attempt to cover himself, and hid most of his body from Hermione's view by pulling the blanket free. He stood and faced his best friend, who was yet to move.

"Her-Hermione," Harry stuttered with embarrassment, "how can I help?"

"I wanted to ask if you could come over to the Burrow. Apparently, Teddy has an announcement he wants to make. A big break, he says; it'll be the biggest news since you killed Voldemort."

Harry looked down, torn. He wanted to be there for his godson, but he also wanted to have a full day lying in with his lover. Hermione cleared her throat and smiled when he looked up at her. She glanced at the bathroom door and back at him. "I'll let them know you're busy. Just—it may not be my place to say this, but. Harry, just be careful."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Yes, you do, Harry. You need to know if you can trust him."

"I do trust him, with my life," Harry declared fiercely.

She nodded and smiled kindly. "Well, have fun. See you later."

"Ta, Hermione." Harry watched as she went downstairs and listened for the Floo; when he was sure she was gone, he moved to the bathroom and opened the door. "She left; you can come out, Scorp."

"Come out? No, thank you, my Father would kill me. He's already spared me _The Talk_ today." Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh, don't worry. It was all very heterosexual. Can we get some food now? I'm starving!"

Shaking his head in fond exasperation, Harry led the way down to the kitchen still wrapped in the blanket. Scorpius tugged it away after they entered the kitchen. He wrapped his long limbs around his lover's body, rubbing his already hard cock against Harry's hipbone. "I thought you were hungry, Scorp," Harry commented, amused.

"I am, but I can't eat when I'm horny." Scorpius's face was the picture of innocence.

Harry grinned down at the blond, before sinking to his knees and leaning forward to mouth at Scorpius's balls. He sucked on one, then the other, clamping one arm around the narrow waist to hold the younger man in place; he then searched the red, leaking cock with his other hand, so he could suck it into his mouth.

Harry licked a long, wet stripe from the base to the tip, before he tongued the slit, savouring the taste of the bitter, salty liquid he found there. He took the head into his mouth, then, with a soft suckling motion, opening his mouth wider as he took more of his lover into his mouth, his tongue pressing against the shaft and his teeth lightly grazing over it occasionally.

Scorpius's hands had threaded their way into Harry's hair, gripping and pulling at his head, trying to get more of himself into Harry's mouth. For his part, Harry relaxed his jaw and concentrated on breathing through his nose as he released the tight grip on Scorpius's hips, letting the blond fuck his mouth, but ready to grab him and pull back if needed. His hand moved to his own cock, which he fisted in time to Scorpius's thrusts.

Scorpius threw his head back, as his hips surged forward, his cock hitting the back of Harry's throat, and he screamed out Harry's name, as Harry swallowed down his orgasm. He licked Scorpius clean, lavishing his soft cock with tiny, infuriating licks until the blond tugged on his hair, whimpering, "Too much, too much."

Harry wiped his hand on the discarded blanket and rose to his feet to kiss Scorpius thoroughly, letting him have a taste himself on Harry's tongue. "Can I eat now, Scorp?"

Scorpius had sagged against the counter and he waved a limp hand at Harry. "By all means."

Chuckling, Harry set about making the two of them some lunch. It wasn't often that they got to spend an entire day together; it almost felt as if this was their real life, and the hiding and planning was a game they played, just for fun.

As they sat down to eat, Scorpius, with his mouth full, asked, "What does Teddy do now, by the way?"

"He does exposés on Wizarding families for _The Prophet_. It started as a hobby to learn more about the Lupins and the Blacks. Now, he's paid to do it." Harry shrugged and picked up a crisp, turning it around his fingers. "It's a job I guess, like any other."

"Oh, I don't really read _The Prophet._" Scorpius grinned sheepishly. "Which family is it this week?"

"I don't read it either, so I've got no idea. That's why Hermione came 'round, actually. It seems that Teddy wants to tell the family before the world. Who cares, anyway?"

"It could be the Potters." Harry scrutinised Scorpius's unapologetic face, and watched as the blond lifted one shoulder. "It would make sense why he'd want to tell the family first."

"No, he'd probably just tell me. It might be the Prewetts or the Weasleys." Harry held out a hand and waited until Scorpius took it, before continuing, "Either way, it doesn't affect me."

"Ah, but I affect you."

Harry pressed a kiss to the blond's lips. "That's right. Would you like to find out how much?"

Scorpius had left Harry's house late in the evening, after a light snack and a frenzied kiss with Scorpius shoved against the hallway wall. It had ended with Harry holding Scorpius's hands above his head as their hips moved together, dragging one last orgasm from their tired bodies. With another lingering goodbye kiss, Harry had watched from the doorway of Grimmauld Place as Scorpius Apparated back to the Ministry to use the Floo.

When he woke the following morning, Scorpius stretched his aching body and tried to ignore the empty half of his bed where, he hoped, Harry would one day be. Knowing it was impossible, due to his Father's hate for Harry and the desire for Scorpius to start a family of his own, didn't make Scorpius feel any better about waking up alone.

He yawned, feeling more tired than when he had gone to sleep. He didn't remember having any dreams; perhaps his sleep had not as fulfilling as it usually was. As he slid from his bed and pulled on some pyjama trousers and a t-shirt, making himself presentable for breakfast at least, Scorpius was aware of his stomach, but he didn't feel hungry. He was just overly hungry because he skipped dinner last night, instead heading straight to bed, exhausted from his day with Harry.

Scorpius left his room, running a hand through his hair in order to tame it, and headed to the dining room downstairs, where his mum and Father would be waiting for him to eat their traditional Sunday breakfast.

Scorpius greeted his parents, by pressing a kiss to his mum's cheeks as she greeted him with a soft, "Good morning, darling." and nodding at his Father, who nodded back with a terse, "Scorpius."

At his Father's tone, Scorpius paused, before seating himself opposite to his mum. "Have I done something to upset you, Father?"

Draco clenched his jaw and looked down the length of the table. Astoria smiled at her son. "He's just worried about you, Scorpius. You didn't have dinner last night and you went straight to bed."

"I had dinner with Harry, actually. After such an intense and vigorous . . . training session, Harry decided we should have dinner so I didn't faint somewhere along the Floo Network," Scorpius lied, tried to lighten the mood.

"Your Father is just worried that you're working too hard, and so am I."

Scorpius sighed. "I'm not, Mum. Honestly, I just have to prove to the other Junior Aurors that I deserve the position that I have. I am the best of them, Mum, and if I need to do extra work to stay, then I shall. Harry's the best, and I enjoy learning from him."

Draco let out a deep breath and exchanged a look with Astoria, making Scorpius believe that wasn't the only thing his Father had been worried about. He thought it was put to rest for the moment, at least.

Draco tapped his wand against his empty plate and the food the house-elves had prepared appeared before them, much like it did at Hogwarts. Suddenly, the scents of toast, bacon, eggs and tea became too much for Scorpius's overly hungry stomach and he lurched out his chair, hand pressed against his mouth as he tried to physically stop the bile that was rising in his throat.

Stumbling through the door, all Scorpius could think was a desperate, _I won't make it._ He fell to his knees before a potted plant and promptly threw up. His stomach was empty and there was little to lose, but he kept heaving violently, and tears of exertion fell down his cheeks. He felt his mum kneel beside him and place a calming hand on his shoulder, as her other rubbed large circles over his back.

Scorpius leaned back into his mum's arms, vaguely registering Draco ordering a house elf to get a message to their family Healer. "Oh, my baby, what's wrong?"

Scorpius just shook his head and raised a shaky hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks. "I'm fine now, Mum. I think I spent too much time without eating; perhaps, I should have had some dinner when I came home."

"I've sent Pansy, who should be here momentarily."

Scorpius nodded, but didn't get a chance to speak, as the Floo flared and footsteps were heard, getting louder as Healer Zabini approached the room.

"Pans, thank you for coming so quickly." Draco pressed a kiss to his oldest friend's cheek. The woman smiled and knelt down next to the other two Malfoys. "Hello, Tori."

"Pansy. Thank you for this."

The dark-haired woman smiled and waved her wand over Scorpius, whilst muttering Latin incantations. She frowned, at last, and repeated the movements, before turning to look at Scorpius with narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Pansy, I feel fine now. If a little foolish."

"Do you two mind if I speak to Scorpius alone?" she asked the other two, instead of replying.

Draco and Astoria exchanged a worried glance, but Draco held his hand out to his wife and helped her to her feet, before they left the room together. Pansy watched them go and cast a Silencing Charm around them. She stood up slowly and lowered herself into a nearby chair.

"I told you I'm fine, Aunt. Just hungry, that's all. I had a lot of exercise and not a lot of food, yesterday."

Her brown eyes narrowed in worry and she gestured to the chair next to hers, scrutinising every move Scorpius made.

"What did you do, yesterday?"

"Field training with Harry; you know, a lot of running and ducking and rolling and casting. We had lunch around one, before going back to work. Well, to the rolling and the tumbling, if you know what I mean. We had a small snack before I left, and I used the Floo straight home from the Ministry, after a short walk to cool down." Scorpius shrugged, nonchalant in his movements and words, as he kept as close to the truth as possible.

"That is all?"

"I didn't leave home until half-eleven. Father had a talk with me beforehand about my future and, as soon as I got home, I went straight to bed."

Pansy twirled her wand between her fingers and sighed. "I have to ask you this, Scorpius, as your Healer and it is strictly confidential."

"This sounds serious."

"It is, in a way. Scorpius, I need to know if you are sexually active."

Scorpius's cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. "Well, er, I take matters into my own hands so to speak, so technically yes."

Pansy nodded. "Do you mind if I take some blood? For tests, just to check if everything is fine."

"Not at all, Aunt Pansy." He held out his arm and let her draw blood, with a needle and vial that she produced from thin air. "I don't know what all this fuss is about really, I'm fine," Scorpius protested again, as he snagged a dry piece of toast from the table and started to nibble at it.

She had seen this boy grow up alongside her own children, and she knew his habits well: she had never seen him eat a piece of toast without butter and strawberry jam. Maybe she should have pushed about the sex question, but that was a little too personal, and sex before marriage amongst purebloods was practically unheard of. If Draco had spoken to him about his familial obligations, Scorpius wouldn't be stupid enough to have sex out of wedlock, not with the chance of getting a girl pregnant.

Pansy shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts. The boy was her nephew in all but blood and she loved him dearly. It would be unprofessional and unkind of her to assume the worst of him.

Leaving Scorpius to his toast, she waved her wand and the vial of his blood was now first in line to be analysed Monday morning. As she exited the dining room, Draco and Astoria were on her immediately, demanding to know what was wrong.

"Draco, Tori, nothing came up through my spells. He told me what he did yesterday and I think he's just exhausted, in all honesty. You should tell him to say no to Potter every once in a while, or better yet," she poked Draco hard in the chest, "_you _should tell Potter that yourself. I've taken some blood and it'll be analysed at St Mungo's tomorrow. If there's anything unusual, I'll have information for you by Tuesday morning, at the latest."

Astoria engulfed her in a hug. "Thank you, darling. Now, would you like to stay for some tea?"

"No, I'll get back to Blaise. It's first time we've had the house to ourselves for a long time."

"Tell Blaise hello for us, would you, Pans?"

"Of course," she kissed his cheek and he returned it, before she walked away towards the Floo parlour.

Scorpius spent the rest of the day at home, resting; sometimes, his stomach would cramp and, sometimes, he'd heave, but he didn't tell his parents, just endured the discomfort.

When Scorpius arrived at the Ministry the following morning, he had managed to have a decent breakfast and was feeling much better than the day before; except that the glances and sniggering that followed him as he made his way to the office he shared with Harry on Level Two, unnerved him.

Scorpius squared his shoulders and kept his head up, brushing off their antics until he reached his office and shut the door firmly behind him. Ignoring Harry's amused look, Scorpius made his way to his desk, where he slumped into the chair and banged his head on the desk, leaving it there, unwilling to move.

"Dare I ask?"

"Do you know why they're laughing at me?" Scorpius demanded.

"Who is?"

"The others out there," he replied, and waved a hand at the door. "They're whispering and laughing behind their hands as if they know something I don't."

"What?" Harry's voice was strained and tight with fear, causing Scorpius to sit up quickly, which only made his vision go black, his stomach churn and his body slump harshly on the floor. Vaguely, he could hear Harry calling his name and felt the other's hands holding his head. As he started to come around, Scorpius began to thrash his head about.

"No, Scorp, come on. Don't do that."

"Urgh," Scorpius groaned, before he lurched away from Harry, leaned over and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

Harry held Scorpius's hair out of his eyes with one hand, and the other rubbed circles on his back. The door crashed open and two other Aurors entered with their wands raised.

"What happened, Potter? We heard shouting—what's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, _Smith_, perhaps you would like to ask another useful question," Harry snapped sarcastically.

He hated Zacharias Smith and everybody in the Department knew it. Most speculated it was because Smith had impregnated Ginny Weasley during their final year at Hogwarts, effectively making her unavailable for the Saviour. Smith and Ginny were locked in a loveless marriage now, each having multiple lovers, seeing as they had been forced to marry as soon as they finished school.

It wasn't the case: Harry had told Scorpius once that he hated Smith because Smith was a pillock and a waste of the Department's money; Ginny was his sibling like all the Weasleys were. He then spent the rest of the night proving how much more Scorpius meant to him.

"Easy, Harry, Zach didn't mean any harm."

A groan and another heave from Scorpius interrupted Harry's comment to Allan Jones, a Welsh Muggleborn, who was second best to Scorpius as a Junior Aurors. Harry removed his hand from Scorpius's back and pulled his wand from his pocket, casting his Patronus. Harry greeted the stag before sending him off with a, "Go to Healer Zabini and tell her to come to my office at the DMLE immediately. Scorpius is violently ill."

The stag charged off through the wall and Harry returned his attention to his partner. "Don't worry, Scorp, Parkinson's on her way." Harry's hand started to stroke back Scorpius's hair, as he continued to throw up all over the floor. Harry toyed with the idea of vanishing it from the floor but he wanted Parkinson to see how much Scorpius had thrown up.

The other two Aurors left as soon as Pansy arrived. She paused in the doorway, staring at the mess on the floor, then looking up to meet Harry's eyes. She watched his hand stroke her nephew's hair. Immediately, she Vanished the vomit and cast a strong cleaning charm, before kneeling down in front of Scorpius, placing her hands on his shoulders, and she tried to guide him more securely onto the chair, but Scorpius fell back into Harry's chest instead.

Pansy paused, and took in the way Scorpius was completely relaxed against Harry's chest, one of his hands still stroking the blond hair, while the other was settled on Scorpius's shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, as she noticed how comfortable and acquainted they were with each other's bodies. "Scorpius, how do you feel?" she asked, at last.

"Like shit; I think I sat up too quickly. I just got all hot and my vision went black. I could hear Harry, though it was like he was far away."

"This is the first time you've been sick since yesterday morning?" Pansy noted that the hand Harry had on Scorpius's shoulder tightened to the point that Harry's knuckles went white. There would be fingerprint bruises on Scorpius's shoulder when Harry let go.

"Yeah."

"You should have stayed home, Scorp." Pansy was surprised. This Potter was making her feel off balance; she had never heard anyone successfully shorten Scorpius's name before and she distinctly remembered Scorpius hitting anyone who had.

There was a knock on the door, and they all looked up to see Allan standing in the doorway. "There's been a burglary at the Leaky Cauldron, sir."

"Right." Harry's jaw was set, but his eyes softened as he looked into Scorpius's blue ones. "I'm sorry, Scorp, but I can't let you go on this one with me. Not when you're so sick."

"But, Harry—."

"You need to get yourself better, Scorp. Don't fret about losing your position over some illness. You won't, I promise."

Scorpius nodded and smiled wanly as Harry squeezed his shoulder once more, before settling against the back of the chair. With one last look, Harry left the room, with Allan following close behind.

Pansy sighed and pressed her hand to Scorpius's head. "You look a lot better than when I came in."

"I feel like it, too."

"You stay here. I'm going to go and check on the lab, to see if they've found anything on the blood I sent yesterday. Don't do anything too strenuous, okay?"

"All right; thank you, Aunt Pansy."

She kissed his brow and smiled. "Any time."

After she left, Scorpius sat at his desk, filling out some reports, when Smith entered without knocking, holding a copy of the newspaper under his arm, a smirk on his face.

"How are you feeling, _doll_?" Smith's voice dripped with sarcasm and distaste. Scorpius frowned at the expressly female term of endearment.

"What do you want, Smith?"

"Have you read _The Prophet_ today?"

"Why would I? I have better things to do with my time, any _competent_ Auror does."

Smith bristled at the insult, but drew the newspaper without another word and dropped it onto Scorpius's desk. Scorpius glanced down and his frown deepened. "_Seventy percent off children's books at Flourish and Blotts,_" he read from the paper. "I don't see what that has to do with anything, Smith."

Smith huffed and reached out to flip the newspaper over, a finger pointing to a column on the right. "Here's what you want to read, doll."

Scorpius's eyes nearly fell out of his head as he read the article Smith pointed out to him.

_blockquote THE MALFOY FAMILY_

_This week's featured clan is the Malfoy Family, whose roots of blood purity go further back to the 17th century to Brutus Malfoy, Chief Editor of the anti-Muggle periodical Warlock at War, and creator of the motto Sanctimonia Vincet Semper, or Purity Always Conquers._

_Since then, the family has been true to the word, and is famous for a supremacist policy that enforces a dangerous amount of intra-family relationship, even the less legitimate ones, and resulted in the support of the Dark Lord Voldemort during the Second Wizarding War by Abraxas Malfoy and his son, Lucius._

_The tradition has been broken by Narcissa Malfoy, née Black, and her rather heroic rescue of the Man-Who-Won, Harry Potter, which only goes to show that, despite their obsolete ideals, Malfoys value their family. Which might be the reason for my findings . . . ._

_Public records were as dull as they come, however, mostly showing long branches of blue-eyed, blond people with a penchant for psychological conditions and a rather thick history of poor decisions, and it was almost enough to convince this reporter that there was nothing else to Malfoys than beauty, prejudice and inbreeding._

_Except that Brutus had a son, Claudius Malfoy (born c. 1700), who never married, but bred true._

_What about it? you might ask; Surely, there was illegitimate relations involved. Well, Claudius's estate featured a large amount of male slaves where others would have collected females, if you catch this reporter's meaning about Claudius's persuasion, which rather throws that theory asunder. In fact, there was a particular servant who seems to have stayed with Claudius for longer than the others. Bjorn was his name, a enslaved Viking warrior from northern places. Blond, blue-eyed and pure-blooded, before you start thinking that Claudius reformed himself for the love of a good man._

_The point is, Claudius had a son. How?_

_It seems that Brutus was more than a spokesman for bigotry: he was also a very talented spell-craftsman. Brutus created an unnamed spell, patented in the Hall of Creations in the Department of Mysteries. The spell invokes ancient magic, magic of creation and birth. _

_The subject of this spell? His son himself! That's right, dear readers! Fearful of the end of his family line, Brutus Malfoy created a spell that allows men to conceive and carry a child._

_The Department of Mysteries have tried to apply the spell to several subjects, but the tests were a failure. It seems that only Malfoy men can be impregnated by another man. Further researched is being made, but with no results so far._

_This reporter, for one, is thankful for that, because his girlfriend has been eyeing his researched with ill-concealed interest. Maybe this reporter should move onto the next topic. Until next week, everyone._

_Theodore R. Lupin/blockquote_

Scorpius's heart dropped as he stared at the words on the newspaper. He heard Smith laugh caustically and, when Scorpius went to hand the paper back to him, his smirk deepened and he laughed again. "You can keep it, _doll_, I've got another copy."

Scorpius watched Smith as he turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him. When he was left alone, Scorpius re-read the article and he got angrier and angrier. Eventually, he got up, threw on his Auror robes and stuffed the paper on his inner pockets, before stalking out the door and heading towards the lifts. He took the Floo home, without telling either his partner or his superior. It could cost him his job, but hopefully Harry would cover for him when he got back.

Scorpius exited into the Floo parlour and stormed to his Father's office, which was uncharacteristically empty. His eyes flashed to the clock on the wall, which informed him it was only eleven in the morning. Thanking his fortunate luck, Scorpius headed towards the drawing room where his parents and grandparents would be having brunch as they did every Monday.

He pushed the door open and let it bang loudly against the wall.

"Scorpius, how lovely to see you!"

"It's lovely to see you too, Nana, but if you don't mind I'd like to speak to Father and Grandfather alone." Scorpius's face was schooled into the mask of polite indifference that Harry had taught him all Aurors used when addressing a possible suspect, without frightening them.

"You can discuss whatever it is that you need to before our wives. We have got nothing to hide." Lucius's voice was silky and oily; he was as formidable as ever, his mind still sharp even if his body was aging.

"Of course, Grandfather: perhaps you'd like to tell me why I was never told that the men of our line can carry children."

Lucius's paled and Draco raised his chin, their typical reactions when they were caught unaware. "How did you find out?"

"Only family is told that," Lucius said, trying to regain control of the conversation.

"Well, in case you forgot, _Grandfather, _I am family and I had to find out through the fucking newspaper!"

"Scorpius!" Astoria admonished harshly.

"Forgive me, Mum," Scorpius said, before tossing the newspaper at the table where Draco and Lucius sat. Both men leaned forward to read it.

"Read it aloud, dear, I would like to hear this," Narcissa said.

"S_eventy percent off children's books at Flourish and Blotts,"_ Draco read aloud, looking confused, before Scorpius growled lowly in his throat and flipped the newspaper over, much like Smith had done to him, and pointed out the article.

"That little half-breed," Lucius ground out contemptuously when Draco finished reading it aloud, but he said no more as Narcissa laid a calming hand on his arm.

Draco looked up at his son. "Why does this matter, Scorpius?"

"It matters because I had a right to know about my family's secrets before any of my co-workers, who are all pissing themselves laughing at me, by the way, found out. They're all laughing at us!"

"No, this is about something more than that." Draco stood and took a step towards his son. "What is the other reason? I know you, son; there is something else."

Scorpius flushed, but held his ground as he stared directly into his Father's grey eyes. They were of the same height, so neither had the advantage.

"You told me that I did not need to worry about an unexpected pregnancy, Scorpius," Draco pressed.

"No, Father, I told you that you did not need to worry about me getting a woman pregnant."

"I was under the impression that you, like all Malfoy men, would be a virgin until your wedding night."

"Well, that ship sailed a good couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure the reason I was sick yesterday, and this morning too, is because I am pregnant. Of course, I'll go to Aunt Pansy to get it confirmed."

"You will get rid of it."

"No, I will not."

"I will not have a faggot for a son and a bastard of a grandchild."

"Well, fuck you very much, Father! I am keeping my child and you can't stop m—."

Scorpius was cut off by a stinging sensation on his cheek, which forced his head to the side with the strength of the impact.

Scorpius raised a hand to his cheek and stared at his Father. His mum and nana leapt from their seats and rushed forward, stopping just short of the men.

"You will not live under my roof whilst you carry a bastard inside you! Either you marry the man who did this to you or get rid of it, or you can get out of my house and don't come back!" Draco roared, cheeks pink with anger and his lips tightened in a white line.

"Fine, then; I'll get my stuff and get out! You won't ever see me again." Scorpius spun around on his heel and run up to his room where he flung everything he owned into his enlarged trunk; every item of clothing, every trinket and every book, until all that was left was the bare shell of the room.

He shrunk the trunk, put it in his pocket and made his way to the Floo parlour where, surprisingly, his mum and nana were waiting for him, dabbing at their teary eyes with embroidered handkerchiefs.

"Oh, my dear boy." Astoria pulled him into a tight hug and Scorpius felt his anger abate slightly. "You tell me as soon as you know where you are staying. I am not your Father, and I want to be a part of this little baby's life." She put her hand on his stomach and pressed a tender kiss to his cheek.

Narcissa laid a hand on his back and leant up to press a kiss to his other cheek. "The same goes for me. This child is my first great-grandchild, and I want to see this baby grow up."

Scorpius gave them both a watery smile, and one last hug each, before heading to the Floo, where he made his way back to the Ministry, and then the streets.

After what seemed like minutes, he found himself staring at the door of Harry's house. Should he go in? He'd have to tell Harry about the baby eventually, but not yet, he told himself, not until Aunt Pansy had confirmed it.

Before he could move, the door opened and Harry was running down the steps, gathering Scorpius into his arms as soon as he reached him. "Where have you been? I've been so worried, Scorp." Harry pressed light kisses over Scorpius's bruised cheek. "That bastard!" he growled, before whispering, "So fucking worried, Scorp."

Harry led Scorpius inside and pushed him towards the drawing room, where Aunt Pansy was sitting on a sofa, sipping tea. Scorpius heard Harry come in behind him and shut the door. He let Aunt Pansy pull him into a hug, as Harry sat on the sofa opposite, his green eyes intense as he watched them.

"You idiot," she chastised kindly, "why have you been wandering around outside for hours?"

"Hours? I'm sorry. It felt like minutes only." Scorpius sank into the seat next to Harry. "I just needed to think and calm down. Why are you here?" He knew he sounded rude, but couldn't bring himself to care.

"I got the results of your blood tests and went to the DMLE office, only you weren't there. Potter was. He said you'd gone home sick," Scorpius shot a glance at Harry, who shrugged.

"I couldn't let you lose your job because you just ran out. I told Ron that you left me a note and explained about this morning. He's letting you have the week off to recover."

Scorpius nodded and turned back to Aunt Pansy. "So, then I went to your house, where Tori and Narcissa explained what Draco had done, the bloody fool, and, not knowing where you were, I came here. Potter and I were just discussing where to look, when you breached the wards."

"The wards go out that far?"

"Yeah." Harry looked uncomfortable.

"So every—," Scorpius stopped, not wanting Aunt Pansy to cotton on.

"Yeah." Harry smiled kindly. Every time Scorpius had waited outside in the beginning, just watching the house, not sure if he would be welcomed back or not, Harry had known he was there.

Aunt Pansy narrowed her eyes at them and stood. "Thank you for the tea, Potter."

"You're welcome, Parkinson." Harry also stood and he held out his hand, which Pansy shook, before she faced Scorpius. "I've made you an appointment with me tomorrow at nine. I'll see you there and I expect some answers."

"Of course, Aunt Pansy," Scorpius kissed her cheek and stood next to Harry, watching as she took the Floo to her own home.

When she was gone and the flames had turned back to their usual colour, Scorpius sank onto the sofa, rested his head into his hands and took deep breaths. Harry sat down next to him and gathered him in his arms, with his cheek pressed against Scorpius's hair, whispering to him about how worried he was and for Scorpius to never do that again.

After a while, Harry pulled away to press his lips to Scorpius's, who kissed back with his usual intensity, but pulled away when Harry started to unbutton his robes. "No."

"Okay," Harry nodded, as if he understood. "Let's get some dinner, yeah? And then we'll head to bed." Seeing Scorpius hesitate, Harry added, "I can set up another room for you, if you'd like."

"I—I don't know."

"It's okay. Let's just eat for now." Harry tugged Scorpius to the kitchen and pushed him into a seat at the table, where he watched Harry stir something in a pot on the stove, before ladling it into two bowls. He put one in front of Scorpius and the other in front of the opposite seat.

Harry got some bread and a knife, and placed them between them, before sitting and watching as Scorpius ate his chicken soup.

"Do you have soup often, Harry?" Scorpius asked, to fill the silence.

"No, but then you didn't come back to the DMLE, and Parkinson Firecalled saying she was coming over because you weren't at home. I made it in the hope that you would come here. To me."

Scorpius could see that he'd hurt Harry by pushing him away earlier. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about what Aunt Pansy will say tomorrow and—," he stopped, unsure of what to say next.

Harry got out of his chair and knelt down next to Scorpius's, placing one hand on his thigh, and the other in his hair, which caused Scorpius to look up. "Scorp, do you want me to go with you? Or do you want to Firecall your mum?"

"No, I'll be okay. I'll just come straight here, afterwards."

"Promise?"

Pressing his lips to Harry's, Scorpius pulled away to whisper, "Promise," before engaging in a proper kiss. They made their way up to Harry's bedroom, got ready for bed, before snuggling down under the covers. Scorpius lay in Harry's arms, and felt his eyes burn with unshed tears. "Can it always be like this?"

Harry didn't answer, Scorpius knew he couldn't, but his arms tightened around Scorpius's body and he pressed a lingering kiss to Scorpius's mouth, and that was enough.

Scorpius woke up when he felt Harry leaving the bed. They had slept curled together. It was obvious that their bodies were meant to fit together.

Harry had gently slipped out from underneath Scorpius's sleeping body, but, as soon as he was out of the bed, Scorpius woke up and groaned. In a second, Harry was sitting on top of the covers, smoothing down his blond hair and pressing kisses to his temple.

"Shh, go back to sleep, Scorp; it's only seven-thirty. I'm going to shower and get us some breakfast. I'll wake you when I leave, at eight-thirty, so you can get ready to see Parkinson." Harry was speaking in hushed tones, yet Scorpius understood what he was saying. With a mumbled confirmation, the blond burrowed into the bed that Harry had just vacated and drifted back to sleep.

Then, soft kisses were being placed up and down the side of his face, and a large hand was stroking his back. "Scorp," Harry called, "it's time to wake up, Scorp." Harry nuzzled Scorpius's jaw, up to his ear, and sucked it into his mouth.

"I could get used to this, Harry," Scorpius mumbled.

Harry's laughter filled the room. "So could I. You have to be at Parkinson's in half an hour, don't forget. Now up you, get." Harry swatted Scorpius's arse, forcing a grumble from him.

Scorpius dragged himself out of bed, and followed Harry downstairs. In the drawing room, he pulled him in for a chaste goodbye kiss which Harry immediately deepened.. "I'll pop in 'round lunchtime, unless there's something out in the field." Harry smiled as he stepped into the fire. "I hope everything goes all right with Parkinson."

Scorpius nodded and forced himself to smile back. Judging by the way Harry's eyes narrowed, he wasn't fooled. "I'll see you later, Harry."

Harry opened his mouth, but he was swallowed by the green flames of the Floo Network, before he could say anything.

Scorpius went back upstairs without breakfast, and found his robes from yesterday. Pulling his shrunken trunk out of the pocket, Scorpius laid it on the bed, before re-sizing it and grabbing a new set of robes, thrusting the old ones inside. He hesitated before shrinking it again.

After showering and brushing his teeth, Scorpius made the bed and placed the small trunk in his pocket. Then, he left for Aunt Pansy's office at St Mungo's.

As soon as he arrived he fell from the Floo, he threw up over the floor. Someone immediately thrust a bowl under his mouth, as someone else hauled him to his feet and lead him blindly, and forcefully, to another room where he was pushed into a seat.

Aunt Pansy came in and sat down rubbing his back, whilst he kept heaving. His stomach finally calmed down and he could sit back without suffering the waves of extreme nausea washing over him.

Aunt Pansy stared at him. "I need you to be completely honest with me, Scorpius." He nodded and closed his eyes briefly. "Are you sexually active?"

"Yes. I've been having sex with another man for about two years. I've mostly been on the bottom, except for a couple of times. It has always been unprotected; we were both clean, he made sure of that." Scorpius sighed. "I wasn't aware I could end up pregnant. I am, aren't I?"

"Yes. It showed up in your bloods. Scorpius, I have to ask when was the last time you had sex, before you started throwing up."

"The day before, more than once and, before that time, about two months without any penetration." He licked his lips nervously.

"Was there anything different, in any of those times?"

"The last ones were in a bed."

For the first time in his life, Scorpius saw his Aunt Pansy look shocked and speechless. "You'd never had sex in a bed before? Where did he take your virginity?"

"I was on my hands and knees, it was easier for me, and it didn't hurt as much."

She nodded stiffly, still speechless, before she shook herself. "Okay. We both know that your Malfoy heritage enables you to have children, but it doesn't explain why you seemed to have conceived so quickly and have the symptoms already. Were there any other objects or spells, _anything_ that had something to do with your family?"

Scorpius's lips formed an 'o', and his shoulders slumped. "I can't tell you, Aunt Pansy."

"If it's a toy or something sexual, I won't tell anyone. I can't as it is."

Scorpius chewed on his lip. "It was a room."

"A room? What sort of room?"

"The master bedroom."

"Of where?"

"Grimmauld Place, number 12."

Scorpius could see the moment she figured it out, her eyes went wide and she pressed a hand over her heart. "_Scorpius,_" she gasped. "He's my age! He's your _father's_ _age_!"

"I know, but it all disappears when we're together. It doesn't matter that I'm twenty and Harry's forty-two. We'll both live old; Harry will probably be as old as Dumbledore, and he was abnormally old, so we'll probably die within a few years of each other, anyway."

"You love him."

"_Love_? No, Aunt Pansy, that you've got wrong. I don't love him; I can't."

"You do."

Scorpius knew he did, but he'd never told Harry that. Harry hadn't told him how he felt, either. Aunt Pansy looked at him sadly, before she spoke, "You are going to have to come in for a check up every Monday at nine. I'll make it a standing appointment. Unfortunately, I can't give you anything for the morning sickness.

"I'll also do some research as to how everything has happened so quickly, and hopefully I'll have some explanation by next Monday. You've got any questions?"

"No. Well, only one." Scorpius licked his lip and gave her a small smile. "Can I stay with you for a couple of days?"

"Scorpius, you need to tell Pot—."

"No! I don't know if he wants kids. I don't even know if he wants me!" To his shame, Scorpius felt tears prickling at his eyes.

"He's been sleeping with you for two years and he's helping you in your career," she pointed out, before adding, "which you'll have to stop soon, by the way. I'll write you a note for paternity leave, next week."

"Thanks."

"But?" Aunt Pansy was too perceptive for her own good.

"I know Harry's been sleeping with me for the past two years, but I don't know if I'm the only one."

"You mean he's been cheating on you?"

"We aren't, and have never been, a couple, Aunt Pansy," Scorpius told her, tears now flowing steadily down his cheeks. "Harry had no obligations to me beyond work, and the sex was just sex for him, I think."

Aunt Pansy pulled him into a hug, wiped his tears away and kissed his forehead. "You need to tell him."

Scorpius nodded and wiped his cheeks, before standing. "Thanks, Aunt Pansy. I'll see you soon." He kissed her cheeks, before leaving the office and taking the Floo out.

Scorpius hadn't gone to Harry's or Aunt Pansy's. He'd gone where neither would expect him to go: the Warren, Rose Weasley's house, where she lived with her parents, Ron and Hermione. She was one his best friends from Hogwarts. Unfortunately, they grew slightly apart when she went into Healer training, and Scorpius went into the Auror program.

Scorpius saw Mr Weasley at work every day, seeing as Ron was Head Auror, but when he took the Floo in, he didn't expect to see Mrs Weasley and Rose sitting at their kitchen table, sipping tea and talking. Scorpius stumbled out and dry-heaved over the stone floor. Rose ran to his side, whilst Mrs Weasley pushed a bucket under his mouth. Slowly, he sat back up and flushed. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, Scorpius," Rose flung her arms around him and hugged him tight, "You don't have to apologise."

"Would you like some tea, Scorpius?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"Yes, please, Mrs Weasley."

Rose helped him up and led him towards the table, while Mrs Weasley got another cup, and tutted, "How many times do I have to ask you to call me Hermione? You say Mrs Weasley, and I immediately think of Harry talking to Ron's mum."

Scorpius stiffened in his seat at the mention of Harry, but forced himself to relax and accept the cup of tea. He was worried it would set off his morning sickness. He sighed happily when it didn't, and looked at Rose. "Do you have to do a term paper for your Mastery?"

"Yes, I want to specialise in either spell damage or midwifery, I can't decide which."

Scorpius smiled, aware of Hermione's knowing eyes on him. "Well, I can offer you both."

Rose's brown eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head. "Seriously? I knew what Teddy was writing, he told us on Sunday, but—."

"Yeah, I knew he was."

"Oh?" Hermione broke in. "You did?"

_Shit,_ Scorpius thought, _shit, shit, shit! _Aloud, he said, "I met with Harry on Sunday afternoon, to talk to him about a query I had, but he was busy and we didn't talk for long."

"Wait! So it's true, you can get pregnant?"

"Rose, hun, I _am_ pregnant."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up, and Scorpius wondered if Harry had told her anything, but Rose was already hugging him and asking him question after question.

"So you get morning sickness? How long have you been pregnant? How did you find out? When did you find out?"

Scorpius answered them all, laughing, but when Rose asked who the other father, was he refused to answer. There was an awkward pause, before the conversation picked up and they were talking about anything and nothing again.

Scorpius had lunch and tea at the Warren, before Rose led him up to her room, where they went through her books and discussed what would happen to his body in the upcoming months. They had fun together and, when Hermione called for them, Rose frowned. "It's too early for dinner. I wonder what she wants."

"Only one way to find out." Scorpius held the door open for her, bowing dramatically, before following her down the stairs. He stopped short when he saw who was there. "Aunt Pansy?"

"I want a word with you. Now." When Aunt Pansy was mad, she was a force to be reckoned.

Hermione spoke, "You can use my study. It's just through here." She directed them to a dark room, walls lined with bookshelves and papers. Hermione shut the door behind herself and Pansy stared at him unblinkingly.

"What?"

"You didn't tell him! He came to my office, asking what the hell I'd said to make you not go back to him."

"Oh, Merlin." Scorpius melted into a plush chair. "What did you say?"

"I said nothing of your pregnancy, obviously. I told him that he was a bastard for cheating on you and for—."

"Oh, tell me you didn't actually say that!"

"I did." Aunt Pansy knelt down before him and looked into his eyes. "Do you know what he told me? He told me you have been the only one."

"Really?"

"I have seen Harry Potter angry and hateful, but I have never seen him worried. Not like this, Scorpius. He was terrified something had happened to you. You need to talk to him: either put him out of his misery or break it off at once, but you definitely _have_ to tell him you are having his child."

"I'll talk to him."

"Tonight?"

"Soon," Scorpius promised. Together, they left the study and headed towards the kitchen where Hermione and Rose were waiting.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, it's fine, Rose." They hugged, as Pansy thanked Hermione and let herself out.

"Do you need help with dinner, Mrs—Hermione?"

"Yeah, mum, we'll help. There's a limit to how long Scorpius will let me ramble. They don't have any effect on him, though, he's not that far along."

Hermione smiled. "Oh, I suppose you could help."

When the Floo flared to life in the living room, the three of them were making dinner: Hermione was cooking the chicken, Rose was cutting up the carrots and Scorpius was peeling potatoes.

"Hermione, I hope you've got extras for tea, because we're having a guest," Ron called out.

Scorpius froze and turned towards the door, as did Hermione. Ron's tall frame loomed in the doorway. "Ron, you'd deprive me of food?"

Scorpius's shoulders slumped as he heard Harry's laugh-filled voice. Ron stumbled forward as if Harry had shoved him, just before it became apparent that it was exactly what Harry had done, as he moved from behind Ron and into the kitchen. The laughter fell from his face as he spotted Scorpius, potato peeler in his wet hands, were dripping water onto the floor.

"Scorp."

Scorpius couldn't speak; he tried to, but no sound came out. He dropped the peeler onto the floor, and ran out of the back door, muttering apologies as he passed Hermione.

Harry followed him, calling his name, "Scorp. Scorp, would you just stop? Scorpius!" Harry shouted, which made the blond falter enough for Harry to reach him and yank him back against his chest, hands tight around Scorpius's forearms. "What is going on? I went to see Parkinson and she's under the impression that I've been cheating on you. I haven't, Scorp, I thought you knew that. It's been just you, Scorp. It has only ever been you. I don't understand what I've done wrong for you to be treating me this way."

"You haven't done anything, Harry."

Harry frowned. "What is the problem, then?"

"No, it's just—I don't know how—."

"Don't know how, what? Scorp, come on, talk to me." Harry's eyes were wide and pleading, confusion evident on his face.

"Do you want kids? I know it'll be later for you than any of your friends, and you've never expressed any desire to have them."

Harry was thrown by the sudden change of topic. "I've resigned myself to the fact that I could never have a child of my own a long time ago. I figured that if, when I found the right man, we'd adopt, but it never came up before with you." He sighed and rubbed a hand across his forehead. "I don't know what you're asking of me, Scorp, why are you bringing this up? We can never—."

"Never say never, Harry." Scorpius's voice was soft and he raised his eyes to look at Harry.

"What—what are you saying?"

"You're smart enough to figure it out."

"Don't you fucking mess with me, Scorp!" Harry's face was aflutter with emotions: hope, regret, fear, joy.

"I'm having your baby, Harry."

Harry gasped, took a breath, and kissed him hard on the mouth, his hand easily finding Scorpius's stomach. As he pulled back, Scorpius could see the unabashed joy on Harry's face, successfully removing any fear or doubt Scorpius could have.

"Merlin, I love you."

They both froze, and Scorpius tried to pull away. "Oh, I didn't mean to say that, I—I'm sorry, Harry, I—."

"Scorp." Scorpius looked at Harry, almost fearfully. "I love you, too."

Biting his lip to prevent his grin from taking over his whole face, Scorpius threw himself into Harry's arms and pressed kisses all over his lover's face. Laughing, Harry stopped him and tugged Scorpius back towards the house. "Shall we have dinner here, or go straight home?"

"Here, you've got to see how well I can peel potatoes." Harry let out a loud barking laugh. "Hey, it was the first time I've done it the Muggle way, you know, ever." Scorpius tried to act indignant, but at the sight of Harry's joyful face and the feeling of Harry's arm pulling him into a solid embrace and kiss, he couldn't help but smile.

After they'd had a somewhat impromptu celebratory dinner with the Weasleys, who were happy to see their friend so happy, even if it was with man twenty years his junior and their eldest child's closest friend, Harry and Scorpius went back to Grimmauld Place.

Scorpius took the shrunken trunk out of his pocket, and put his clothes away together with Harry's things, placing his trinkets around the house and his books with Harry's on the bookshelves. Soon, it looked as if they had both been living there for some time.

Harry let Scorpius lead the way up to the bedroom and take charge of their coupling.

Scorpius straddled Harry and rocked his hips into the other's, causing their hard cocks to slid together. Harry's hands moved all over Scorpius's chest, tweaking his nipples and tugging lightly at his pubic hair, ran his hands over Scorpius's thighs to grab his arse cheeks, and let his fingers brush over the puckered entrance.

Scorpius leant forward to get the lube from the bedside table. He let out a gasp as his cock brushed against Harry's lips. Harry opened his mouth and sucked the tip of Scorpius's cock into his mouth, tonguing the slit and swallowing down around him. Scorpius let out a loud groan and thrust his hips forward, forcing more of his cock into Harry's mouth.

He grabbed the bottle of lube and poured it over his fingers. With oily fingers, Scorpius started to stretch himself, quickly. When he thought himself mostly ready, he slicked Harry's cock with the excess of lube from his fingers, holding it still as he pulled away from Harry's mouth and sat down on his cock.

Harry's eyes were half-lidded with desire, as he licked his lips, watching Scorpius ride on his cock.

Suddenly, Harry grinned and pulled the blond down for a thorough kiss, as he thrust upwards into Scorpius's body. They undulated together, bringing each other to the brink of orgasm. Harry reached between them to tug on Scorpius's leaking cock.

Scorpius cried out into Harry's mouth as he came on their chests, his clenching channel pulling Harry with him.

Scorpius collapsed, boneless, on top of Harry, who wrapped his arms around him. Harry waved his hand and cast a silent Cleaning Charm, before they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The following Monday, both Harry and Scorpius sat in the Healer's office, answering all of her questions. Scorpius was laughing silently at the permanent blush on Harry's cheeks. Aunt Pansy asked some invasive questions, and Harry tried, and failed, not to stutter as he answered.

When Aunt Pansy went to do the scan of Scorpius's body, she frowned and repeated the process. "What's wrong, Aunt Pansy?" Scorpius's arms immediately curled around his torso as if to protect his unborn child.

"The baby is bigger than it should be and your womb is larger and more accommodating that one would expect."

"Is that unusual?"

Aunt Pansy eyed Harry. "Yes. In the very few male pregnancies that have been seen _and_ documented over the years, the womb tends to grow after the baby has already filled it, which causes all sorts of problems."

Scorpius's face took on a horrified expression, and Harry cupped the back of his head and tilted it towards him. "It'll be okay, Scorp." Harry pressed a soft kiss to Scorpius's lips.

"What have you been doing differently?"

"Nothing, Aunt Pansy . . . Oh, except that I'm staying at Grimmauld Place."

"I don't think that has anything to do with it. My research has shown me that the room itself doesn't have powers, but sex within the room, between the owner of the house and a relative of the Blacks can cause a healthy baby. It has something to do with all the inbreeding within the old Pureblood families. It could often cause an unhealthy or weak baby."

"Well, er, that'll be it, ahem, won't it?" Harry interrupted hesitantly.

"What will, Potter?"

Scorpius thought his Aunt Pansy was being deliberately obtuse. "The sex, Parkinson. I own the house and Scorp is a descendant of the Blacks."

"And you have sex every night?" she asked, incredulous.

"We do have a few lost nights to make up for."

Laughing at the look on Aunt Pansy's face, Scorpius leaned into Harry's body. "Oh, come on, Aunt Pansy, it's not as if you and Uncle Blaise haven't been making the most of having Sally at Hogwarts and Graham on holiday."

Sighing, Aunt Pansy continued as if Scorpius hadn't spoken, and Harry was looking decidedly green. "I think that, for now, you need to continue having sex in the bedroom, once every night and that's it. It may get to the point where you'll have to stop because your womb is too big for your body, but we'll deal with that later.

"It's making the baby grow faster, which means that, instead of being ten days old, the baby has developed into the twenty-sixth-day stage. It appears that the combination of sex within the room itself is making the foetus grow two days after each bout of intercourse. That's all for today, I believe. I'll see you both next week at the same time."

Scorpius and Harry nodded, before standing together. "Thanks, Aunt Pansy." Scorpius kissed her cheek, while Harry held out his hand, saying, "Thank you, Parkinson."

"You're welcome, Potter."

Harry kissed Scorpius in front of the Floo stop. "Have a good time with your mum, Scorp." Harry leaned in closer and kissed him again. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Have fun at work." Harry laughed as he took the Floo away. Scorpius stepped into the fireplace after him, heading to the cafe where he was meeting his mum.

Scorpius spotted her immediately, and smiled when he noticed her companion. "Mum, Nana, how are you both?"

They both rose to hug him. "You look radiant, dear."

"Thank you. I like this feeling."

They chatted for a while and Scorpius found himself enjoying their company, even if he had to remember himself not to talk about Harry, since he wasn't sure how they would react. After a good hour of talking, they were interrupted by a shadow darkening their table.

Scorpius looked up into his Father's cold eyes. "Father."

"Draco," Astoria warned, but he ignored her.

"Scorpius, I have thought this over and I believe that you should come home and live out the duration of this _pregnancy_ at home. When the child is born, we can decide what to do."

"Thank you for the offer, Father, but I am quite happy where I am staying."

"And where is that?"

"It's with my child's other father, my partner and lover."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "I was not asking, Scorpius. You will come back to your family's home."

"The Blacks are technically my family, too," Scorpius bit out, before gasping as he realising he had said too much. Apparently, by the look of understanding on Draco's face, he thought so too.

Draco spun and left the cafe quickly. Scorpius shouted after him, "Father!" and started to get up, but his mum's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Let him go, darling."

"But Harry—." He stopped suddenly, looking from his mum's soft smile to his nana's knowing look.

"Mr Potter is a resourceful man, Scorpius," Narcissa said. "He will be able to handle your, Father. Now, I believe it might be more fruitful if we finish our conversation elsewhere."

Scorpius looked around to see people in the cafe watching their table with thinly veiled interest.

The three stood and left, heading to the Leaky Cauldron and taking its Floo to arrive at Grimmauld Place. They found a despondent Harry sitting on a chair, head in his hands and a towel against his jaw.

"Harry!" Scorpius fell to the floor before his lover, hands clutching at the robes on his thighs. Harry reached out and ran a hand through Scorpius blond hair, pulling him up to rest their foreheads together.

"What happened?"

"I got suspended."

"Because of me?"

Harry let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh. "Because of your Father, Scorp."

"What did he do?"

Harry's head moved quickly away from Scorpius's, to see Narcissa and Astoria sitting on the other sofa, watching them. Narcissa, who had spoken, raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. Harry sat back in his chair, but let Scorpius sit between his legs, seeing as his hands were still clenched in Harry's robe. Harry left his hand in Scorpius's hair.

"I was talking with Ron and few others outside my office, when he came storming in, shouted my name and thumped me." He moved the towel from his jaw so that they could see the vicious, dark bruise that was forming. "The other Aurors grabbed him and hauled him back, but, because of what he was saying, Ron had to suspend me."

"He already knew."

"Yeah, but that was out of the DMLE. He could feign not knowing, Scorp, but a relationship between two Aurors was being flaunted right there in front of him; there wasn't much he could do . I came home immediately. It was easier than staying." He looked up at Astoria. "I don't know what happened with Malfoy, but he may have been charged with assaulting an Auror."

"Thank you, Harry. I suppose I shall have to check." She made her way over and pressed her lips to Scorpius's cheek; then, surprisingly, to Harry's. "Do you mind if I come around again soon?"

"Not at all, Astoria." Harry smiled and felt Scorpius's hands tighten in his robes. "You'll be welcome any time. You, as well, Narcissa."

"Thank you, Mr Potter."

The women left soon afterwards, and Scorpius immediately straddled Harry's lap and cupped the uninjured side of his jaw, his other hand sliding into his hair.

"What did he say, Harry?"

"What do you mean, Scorp?"

"Don't be an idiot; it doesn't suit you. What did my Father say that's made you so—." Scorpius shook his head, trying to find the right word.

"He called me a paedophile, Scorp. Do you know how that makes me feel? I'm fucking old enough to be your father. He accused me of taking advantage of you." Harry's nostrils flared as he tried to control his emotions.

"Harry, it didn't ever matter to you, and it doesn't matter to me, or to your friends, or my Mum and Nana. Some people will always think like that, but when have you ever given a fuck about what other people think?"

Harry laughed softly, and Scorpius knew that he was getting over it, even though what Draco had said had hurt Harry. Scorpius was determined to make Harry forget their age difference that usually disappeared when they were together. He pressed a kiss to Harry's lips, before getting up. "I'm going to make a cup of tea. Would you like one?"

"Yeah, thanks. Oh, and a couple of those chocolate biscuits, too," Harry called after him. Scorpius's laughter floated up the stairs behind him.

**Nine Months Later**

Scorpius screamed out in pain and clutched Harry's hand tightly. It wasn't supposed to hurt so much, was it?

"Scorp, you need to breath, just like Pansy taught you." Harry's voice permeated to fog of pain, and Scorpius tried so hard to breathe calmly, but he couldn't make himself focus.

Aunt Pansy's face filled his vision. "It looks like you're about ready, Scorpius. I'm going to give you a potion to sleep, so we can get this baby out of you."

Scorpius nodded sharply and glanced over at Harry, whose bright green eyes were the last thing he saw, before the world went black with a wave of pain.

It only seemed like moments later, when Scorpius woke up, and he felt calm and pain–free. This last thought made him try to sit up, but a sharp twinge across his stomach made him fall back on to the bed.

"Pansy said sitting up would hurt, without someone here to help you."

Scorpius looked up at Harry, who had a wide grin on his face, and a bundle of blankets cradled in his arms. "Is that—?"

"Our son, Scorp." Harry's voice was full of pride.

"Phoenix?" Scorpius's face lit up, and Harry placed the baby into the crib that was set up next to Scorpius's bed, before helping him to sit up against the mountain of pillows. Harry pressed a lingering kiss to Scorpius's lips before pulling back, and arranging Scorpius's arms so it would be easier for him to hold his child.

Harry turned away from the bed, and Scorpius took in a deep breath, letting it go as Harry placed their baby in his arms. Harry sat down next to Scorpius, and put his arm around him, stroking Phoenix's chubby cheek with his other hand, from his wispy black hairs to jaw line.

"He's so red."

Harry's chest vibrated with his laughter against Scorpius's side. "He's amazing, Scorp. To think that he grew inside you and came from both of us." Harry rested his head against the back of Scorpius's neck. "Fuck, I love you, Scorp."

"I love you, too, you know."

"Yeah, I know. And you, as well," Harry's finger moved from the baby's cheek to brush over the cupid's bow of his lip, "Nix."

"Nix?"

"Phee seems a bit feminine."

"Must you shorten names?"

"Yes, _Scorp,_ I must." Harry grinned against Scorpius's pale neck. "I should go and tell them they can come in, now that you're awake."

"They?"

"Astoria, Narcissa, Blaise, Pansy, Ron, Hermione and Rose," Harry recited. "I think your dad's here, too."

Scorpius looked up at the door. "They haven't seen him?"

"Only Pansy, not the others. I didn't think it was fair that they saw Nix before his daddy did."

Scorpius smiled and pulled Phoenix closer to his chest. Harry moved his head so it rested on Scorpius's shoulder, their cheeks touching as they gazed down at their son, who blinked up at them with huge blue eyes.

Harry sighed and turned his head to press his lips to Scorpius's cheek over and over, until the other turned his head and kissed him back. They broke away from the kiss, and took up their previous position. Scorpius looked down at Phoenix and whispered, "We really should let them in."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, but made no effort to move.

Nothing could detract him from what he was feeling and he didn't want it to end. Aunt Pansy was sure to come in soon, to teach them how to take proper care of Phoenix, and she could send their families in then. For now, Scorpius was happy with his son in his arms, and his lover holding him in turn.

-the end-


End file.
